Study Design

The intervention group includes 150 participants aged 12-14 across three schools. Each participant has been given a Fitbit Zip pedometer to wear for a six month period and enrolled on the StepSmart challenge. Participants within the intervention group will take part in two competitions during this period.
School and team based competition. 27/05/15 - 22/06/15 (8 weeks)
Individually focused competition. 22/06/15 - 26/10/15 (18 weeks)
Prizes of low monetary value will be given to participants based on competition performance

the stepsmart challenge

A six month pedometer based intervention designed to increase Physical Activity in school children

The control group for the study involves approximately 90 participants aged 12 - 14. across two schools. Participants within the control group will complete the same measures as the intervention group including wearing an actigraph GT3X accelerometer for a seven day period and completing all questionnaires at the same time points as the intervention group.

Primary Outcomes

Measure

Change from baseline in physical activity as assessed by Actigraph accelerometer

Additional Information

Official title

A Randomised Controlled Trial of a Pedometer Based Phased Intervention to Encourage Physical Activity in Schools: A Feasibility Study.

Principal investigator

Mark A Tully, PhD

Description

The intervention is separated into three main phases.
Phase One: A 10-week school competition using pedometers and a range of non-financial
incentives e.g. t-shirts, pens, badges etc. (April - June 2015).
Phase Two: End of school competition but participants will still keep the pedometers. We
will set them various challenges over the summer to keep active (July - Oct 2015).
Phase Three: Removal of all extrinsically motivation factors. Focus on PA maintenance.

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated in August 2016.